Scott Boland has been given the perfect Christmas present, with returning captain Pat Cummins confirming the MCG wicket specialist will become Australia’s 463rd Test cricketer.
But perhaps as importantly, he will become just the second Indigenous male Test cricketer following Jason Gillespie.
While England are set to make four changes as they bid to keep the Ashes series alive.
After News Corp broke the story, Cummins confirmed Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser – both of whom performed well in their crushing second Test win in Adelaide – pulled up sore, allowing Boland to debut.
“Yeah he is (debuting),” Cummins told reporters outside the MCG on Christmas Day.
“Really excited for Scotty, class player, debuting here on his ground. Jhye and Ness pulled up a little bit sore after Adelaide, so (we) made the decision to bring in Scotty.
“It’s a luxury to have someone like him really to go, so he’s fresh and he’s been consistent for so long and excited he gets his chance.”
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Boland will be Australia’s sixth seam-bowling option used inside three Tests this summer after the injury to Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins’ Covid close contact had seen them ruled out of the second Test.
Yet Cummins said that Australia’s management had viewed Boland as a possible Boxing Day option well before the extraordinary circumstances which has seen six quicks used.
“We had kind of earmarked him as a chance for here (MCG) and SCG in particular, we think he’s really well suited and his record speaks for itself here in domestic cricket,” a grinning Cummins said, while admitting the frustrations started after just an hour of watching from the sidelines in Adelaide.
“Home ground, having someone fresh like him, who can come in and perform straight away, were the big factors. He’s really excited, obviously. It’s a dream to wear the baggy green, but also packed MCG, Boxing Day, it doesn’t get any better.”
Richardson’s absence in Melbourne will be a tough pill to swallow given his 5-42 in the second-innings at Adelaide Oval saw Australia complete a 275-run victory to go two-nil up in the series.
But Cummins said it was important Australia’s management took a cautious approach with the 25-year-old, who suffered a run of injury misfortune after debuting against Sri Lanka in 2019.
“He’s pretty sore,” Cummins said. “We were kind of umming and ahing, he had a bit of a bowl out yesterday, but we thought seven days off, give him enough rest, he’s got a small leg injury, which is nothing major, but we thought rather than risking him and a longer-term injury we’d give him a week off.”
Neser, who hit an entertaining 35 and took a wicket in each innings, was always unlikely to play given Cummins’ return from a Covid-contact scare.
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In a recent interview with News Corp, Gillespie said it would be a proud moment for Boland and Indigenous culture were the right-arm quick to debut.
“I love what Scott brings to the table,” 259 Test wicket-taker Gillespie told News Corp.
“He’s a fantastic bowler, he performs in all conditions and he gives his all. A captain’s dream.
“If that was to be the case (a debut) it would be a proud day for Aboriginal Australia.”
Boland averages 26 with the ball at first-class level from 79 games, but his record at the MCG is even better.
The quick played 14 ODI matches for Australia in an action-packed 2016, taking 16 wickets at 45.31 but has not featured since.
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